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Anger in Iceland over incoming US ambassador’s ‘52nd state’ joke

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Ashifa Kassam European community affairs correspondentJanuary 15, 2026 at 08:08 PM
Anger in Iceland over incoming US ambassador’s ‘52nd state’ joke
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AI Summary

medium article 3 min

Donald Trump's nominee for US ambassador to Iceland, Billy Long, is facing backlash in Iceland after reportedly joking that the country should become the 52nd US state. The comment, reported by Politico, prompted Iceland's foreign ministry to seek clarification from the US embassy. An online petition calling for Long's rejection as ambassador has garnered over 3,200 signatures, citing the remark as offensive to Iceland's sovereignty. Long has since apologized, stating the comment was made in jest during a conversation with friends and was not meant to be taken seriously. He expressed his desire to work with the Icelandic people and regretted any offense caused.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context
Jeff Landry ×230% Denmark 35% Greenland ×340% Politico ×240% Katrín Gunnarsdóttir 50% Donald Trump ×370% United States ×480% Billy Long ×785% Iceland ×1090%

Keywords

iceland 100% us ambassador 90% 52nd state 80% billy long 70% diplomatic relations 60% apology 50% political joke 50% petition 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative
Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source
The Guardian - World News
Political Lean
Center-Left (-0.40)
Far LeftCenterFar Right
Classification Confidence
90%
Geographic Perspective
Iceland

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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icelandus ambassador52nd statebilly longdiplomatic relationsapologypolitical jokepetition
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